


Prepared with pages

by ReloadTheWorld



Series: Tony Is A Helicopter Mentor [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Bonding, Fluff, Heart-to-Heart, Heartbreaking, Hurt Peter Parker, Other, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-10-31 01:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17839991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReloadTheWorld/pseuds/ReloadTheWorld
Summary: Tony finds a notebook of Peter's... Listing everything he'll say to people when he dies.Needless to say, he's a bit concerned.





	Prepared with pages

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure about this one, what do you think?

"Ay Pete!" Tony calls from the kitchen, waiting for the boy to come back with his textbook to start his homework. It's a late Friday afternoon. Peter is spending the night at the tower, but he 'forgot' he had homework until AFTER they worked on the nanotech. The teen asked Tony to grab his notebook from his backpack, but he didn't know which one to grab so... he grabbed all of them, not thinking there was anything secret. 

 

Of course, he was wrong. While sorting through the load of papers framed together by cardboard, Tony found a journal, no, _several journals._ They werelike an extended suicide note, minus the suicide. Some were completely full, others barely written in.

. Peter had written goodbye letters to every person he knew and kept it with him all the time? What- why- what the fuck? Tony knew this kind of thing was personal, but he didn't want to under think it and have the kid going through some internal thing on his watch. 

 

Peter jogs back into the room, chemistry book in hand, eyes bright. "I got it Mister Star- Uhm, is something wrong?" His face scrunches up in concern, eyeing his stern faced idol. His mentor takes in a deep breath, and holds up the tattered and new composition books, his eyes weary.

A look of understanding crosses his face, and he instantly pales.

"Can you- like- put those down?"

 

"Yeah yeah, but first, I wanted to ask you, in the nicest way possible, mind you-  _what the fuck are these?_ " Tony holds them up again, , the covers moving back and forth with the movement- some ripped at the edges slightly; some completely new looking. 

"May wouldn't approve of that statement." Peter stated dryly.

 Tony ignored that comment. 

 

"The point of having a secret Pete is actually keeping a secret, now spill."

 

He hesitates, wringing his hands together.  "I- I've had that- those for a while, I don't really use them anymore. Its nothing to worry about-"

"Nothing to worry about? _Nothing to worry about?!_ This is everything to worry about, you were writting letters to people for when you _die,_ Pete, that's not something normal! That's- these are dated! You write in these almost everyday!"

Peter shrugs. "I'm a superhero, I can die any day. Might as well be prepared."

 

Tony's heart falls at the statement. _He's right. "_ Oh, Peter. You're not dying anytime soon, bud. Trust me, there's always going to be a spider man around, even if it kills-"

"No. I've died before and I can die again, so just let me do that when the time comes okay? I'm not suicidal or anything, it's just- I want them to have me in a way... when I'm not here anymore. Is that so hard to understand?"

He shakes his head, pulling the kid in for a firm embrace, running his free hand through the curls. "No bud, I understand, just-" He chokes on his words for a moment, and he coughs to recollect himself (and his fading ego). "Just focus on the here and now, yeah? That's what life is about, that's all its about, not on what comes after."

 

Peter nods, breaking away from the hug. "So, no more letters?"

"No more letters, you've written enough for two lifetimes as it is."

The teens let's out a watery laugh and wipes his eyes with his sleeve.

"Can I do my homework now?" Tony rolls his eyes. The classic 'I'm Switching The Subject Now' trick. 

 

"Yes, but first, yah gotta let me know- are there any about me in there?"

Peter turns red immediately, burying his face in his chemistry book, wordlessly giving his answer. Tony laughs heartily, clapping him on the shoulder. "Relax, I'm joking... But I am curious though."

"Mister Stark!" Peter groans. He looks around the table, and then back up. 

 

_"Did you even grab my damn chemistry notebook?"_

_______________________________________________________________

 

Tony couldn't sleep that night. Instead, he leafed through the notebooks, determined to find ones about him. They weren't hard to find, because there were several, maybe even a dozen. Thank you notes, apologies, whole hearted declarations of his respect and gratitude for the man, but his favorite was a simple poem:

 

 

_**They've called him crude, selfish, narcissistic and mean;** _

_**The billion dollar man who's all rough around the seams-** _

_**The insane philanthropist with an ego that always glows,** _

_**But they don't know him like I do though.** _

 

_**He wears a mask so no one sees the split ends brought on by the things he's seen. Fear laced eyes, self hate through clenched teeth, the pain encased by his poker face and all the hurt beneath.** _

 

_**He's a man in pieces wearing iron armour,** _

_**Holding together the life he wonders.** _

_**He often ponders how he'll go farther;** _

_**How to be better then his father,** _

_**While protected in the suit they honor.** _

 

_**The lies he spit are false comfort to ease his racing mind** _

_**He tries to be an honest man but honest is like store bought** _

_**shoes that just don't seem to fit right.** _

 

_**Truth is brutal, so he tells jokes to ease the burden,** _

_**He knows reality's real hard to swallow, for that the man is certain.** _

_**Reality is night terrors, panic, loved one's pulling the curtain,** _

_**New York, flying robots, dying, his father's desertion.** _

 

_**His father never loved him, never even tried;** _

_**Never said "I love you", even when he died.** _

_**The distant, bitter billionaire can recall his dad's words,** _

_**"You're my greatest creation" The worst lie he ever heard.** _

 

_**The point I'm trying to prove is that Tony Stark is not a price tag,** _

_**Not a loser, a stuck up aristocrat, a failure, he's nothing anyone says** _

_**No, he's just like me and you; fragile, lonely and afraid.** _

 

_**He's not invincible, but he carries a ton of strength-** _

_**He's learned to shoulder the world, no matter what it takes,** _

_**And for that he is selfless, he is kind and incredibly brave.** _

 

_**He's misunderstood because his actions are misconceived;** _

_**But you can't blame him when that's all he'll ever be.** _

 

_**Why? Because-** _

 

_**He's a man in pieces wearing iron armour** _

_**Caught up in the life he barters.** _

_**He has himself and a few close friends;** _

_**People who will stick til the very end.** _

 

_**He's a man of iron disguised as broken** _

_**Known as strong when his shell's not eroded,** _

_**But behind closed doors he's choking through the pain** _

_**And that takes courage when you're just-** _

 

_**A man in pieces wearing iron armor,** _

_**Holding together the life you wonder.** _

 

_**So- they've called him crude, selfish, narcissistic and mean,** _

_**But he's a hero on the inside- and, he might be a billion dollar man who's all rough around the seams,** _

_**Though those things will never, ever matter to me.** _

 

Tony couldn't help it. He steps into the kid's room to see a sleeping Peter Parker, dressed in Star Wars pajamas. He smiles softly, curling up on the small bed beside him. He stirs however, pressing himself sleepily against his mentor's shoulder, sighing. 

"You read them, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah I did." That's all Peter needed to hear. He yawned, resting his head softly on Tony's elbow, closing his eyes again. 

"Glad you liked em'."

 

"Oh Peter." He wrapped his free arm around the boy, feeling his muscles relaxing. "I absolutely loved it."

 

They both slept peacefully that night. 

 


End file.
